Inner liner for tires



A. L. SEWELL.

INNER LINER FOR TIRES.

APPLICATlOh HLED JUNE :6, 1920.

1,379,.3 1 4. Pasented May 24, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR L. SEWELIi, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-TI'IIRD TOEDWARD J. MORAN AND ONE-THIRD TO JAMES A. GBEELEY, BOTH OFCHIGAGQILLINOIS.

INNER LINER FOR TIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June is, 1920. Serial no. 389,373. 1

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. SEWELL, a citizen of the United States,resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Inner Liners for Tires, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an inner liner for pneumatic tire casings.

It is an object of the invention to provide an inner liner for outercasings of pneumatic tires adapted to be interposed between the innerinflatable tire tube and the outer casing for the purpose of protectingthe former against puncture and reinforcing the latter againstblow-outs, and which will also serve to increase the wearing quality ofthe outer casinguwithout, however, destroying its resiliency.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an inner liner capableof adapting itself to the exact size of difierent makes of tires so thatthe liner in operative position will not be normally under undesiredstresses.

A further object of the invention aims at the provision of an innerliner which is c provided with reinforcing elements arranged in suchmanner that the flexibility of the liner and its resiliency is therebynot diminished.

It is a further object of the invention to provide reinforcing elementsof pliable material such as brass, which may be insistently bent withoutbreaking.

A further object of the invention aims at the provision of an innerliner which is produced in straight lengths capable of being arranged inannular form with the ends overlapping and said overlapping ends beveledso that the liner throughout the circumference has the samecross-section which decreases from a central thickened portion in bothdirections.

A further object of the invention aims at the provision of an innerliner which is made of the identical material as the outer casing orinner tube, and which is devoid of fabric.

Another object of the invention aims at the provision of an inner linerwhich has its reinforcing elements extending transversely to thelongitudinal axis of the liner when in fiat condition and which elementsare arranged in the thickened or tread port1on of the liner.

Patented May 24,1921.

A still furtherobject' aims at the formation of such elements to theeffect of providlng anchoring engagement between said elements and theliner. 7 a 1 r It is a stillfurther object to arrange the reinforcingelements in staggered relation with respect to one another, so thatflexibility of the liner is preserved to a high degree.

To the accomplishment of the objects stated and others thatWill'bGCOIl'lG apparent as the description of the invention proceeds, apreferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, particularly pointed out in the claim and illus tratedinthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a detailed View in perspective and section illustrating theinner liner as applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the innerliner in fiat condition, asoriginally manufactured; a V a Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the sectionbeing taken on line 3-3 ofFig.2;"

Fig. 4 is afragmentary portion of the liner with upper layers of rubbercushion gum removed to expose theembedded reinforcing element;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view to disclosethe 7 form and arrangement of thereinforcing elements; I

Referring to the several vlews of the drawing, 10 designates a wheelbody whlch is provided with a clencher rim 11, capable of holding inposition the outer casing 12 of a pneumatic tire. The inflatable tube 13is arranged within the outer casing 12 and in terposed between the outercasing and the inflatable tube is a liner generally indicated by 14. Theliner 14 is manufactured in straight lengths provided with beveled ends15 and 16 which, when the length 14 is arranged in annular form,overlap, thereby enabling the liner to adapt itself to various sizes andtypes of tires. In accordance with the standard sizes of tires,different lengths will be manufactured, but, as slight variations occurbetween various types of tires, these variations are taken care of byauto= matic adjustment of the liner, upon being arranged in annular formwith the beveled ends in overlapping relation.

1n constructing the liner, two plies of material 17, known the art ascompound rubber cushion gum, are cut to the required size of a thicknessapproximating one-eighth of an inch gage. It is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the exact materials as described, nor tothe dimensions as given which are merely indicated as pree ferredembodiments thereof by way of example. Upon thelayer 17 a plurality ofreinforcing elements 18 and 19 are arranged which are made from pliablemetal such as brass with any other material meeting the particularrequirements of reinforcingelements. "The reinforcing element 18comprises circular end portions 19 and the body portion; of theelementhasside edges which "form a plurality of arcs 20. Due to thisconstructionthe meeting'points of the circular end portions'and the arcsat the side edges define corners 21 for a purpose hereinafter furtherspecified.

The reinforcing elements 19 are slightly different fromthe elements 18,but, in gen- "eral, have the same form. They also comprisecircularendportions 22, but the side "edgesgo'f the body portion merely constituteone a'rc23. 'The meeting points of the circular portions and the arcdefine corners 2 As particularly indicated inFig. 5, the reinforcingelements 18 when placed on the material 17, are arranged in spacedrelation too'n'e another. The elements 19 are placed in which thereinforcing elements are immovably held without, however, diminishingresiliency of the liner in longitudinal or transverse direction. In thecompletion'of the lines, the material 25 penetrates between thereinforcing elements 19 and 18, slightly lifting the former so that thetwo types of as a) ears more clearl in Fi 3.

vent creeping.

reinforcing'elements are arranged in staggered relation, with respect toone another, This staggered arrangement 7 of the -reinfor.cing elementsin the liner. aids; to preserve the original resiliency of the linerwhich would otherwise be slightly diminished by the incorporation of thereinforcing elements. As shown in Fig. 1, the reinforcing members arearranged in the thickened portion 26 of the liner, constituting thetread portion thereof. The liner then mer es into side portions 2701"Cl1IIl1ll1Sll8d thickness as is common in the construction of innerliners.

Attention is called to the fact that the liner is composed ofcompoundrubber cushion gum only; 21s., is devoid? of any fabric and that thereinforcing element, while leaving the flexibility and resiliency of theliner practically unaltered, nevertheless, is

iinmovably held within the liner. This is accomplished by 'the'provision of the plurality of corners 21 and 24, respectively, whereby agood anchoring engagement is effected between the reinforcing elementsand the liner. 7 I

In first applying the liner'to a pneumatic tire, the inner surface ofthe outer casing is powdered w th soap stone, talcum powdeigor the like.The liner after being arranged in functional position, enters into a'good engagement with the outer casing and the" tube and, being of thesame material, no friction exists between these parts.

While the drawing discloses'apreferred embodiment of the invention,various changes and alterations areincluded which fall within thepurview of the invention,-as

defined the appended claim.

I'claimj: I

I An inner liner for 'tires comprising a substantially ci'escent shapedmember jhaving embedded therein a series of overlapping, spaced andelongated reinforcing elements disposed in sequence throughout theentire "length of said member, each of said reinforcing elements beingtransversely arranged 'with reference to the said member and providedwithcorrugated edges to pre- In witness whereof I tLffiX my signature.ARTHUR L. SEWELL.

